U.S. Pat. No. 3,457,312 to Miller et al., issued July 22, 1969, discloses alkoxylated amine oxides of secondary-alkyl and cycloalkylamines useful as detergents for dishwashing and shampooing, as surfactants, and as foam boosters. These amine oxides can have the formula: ##STR2## wherein A and B are polyethylene or polypropylene oxide moieties having from 1 to 50 oxyalkylene units; and x and y are integers having a sum of from 2 to 40. The compound N,N-bis(polyethoxylated[2-100 moles])-secondary-butylamine oxide is specifically disclosed. See also U.S. Pat. No. 3,494,962 to Miller et al., issued Feb. 10, 1970 (aryl-substituted aliphatic amine oxides which can have polyethoxy substituents on the nitrogen atom useful as surfactants and as components of shampoos and detergent formulations); Japanese Patent Document No. 7213-016 to Asaki Electro Chemical Co., published Apr. 20, 1972 (amine oxides useful as cleansing, defoaming, emulsifying, dispersing or softening agents produced by reaction of a halogenated polyoxyalkylene containing 5-90% oxyethylene units with a C.sub.1 -C.sub.3 dialkyl substituted amine or C.sub.1 -C.sub.3 trialkyl substituted ethylenediamine); Japanese Patent Document 7210-3013 to Asaki Electro Chemical Co., published Apr. 20, 1972 (amine oxides useful as detergents, bactericides, defoaming agents or lubricants produced by reaction of a sulfuric acid ester of a polyoxyalkylene glycol containing 10-90% oxyethylene units with a C.sub.1 -C.sub.3 dialkyl substituted amine).
European Patent Application No. 42,188 to Koster, published Dec. 23, 1981, discloses detergent compositions having enhanced soil release and cleaning properties. These compositions contain from about 2 to about 60% by weight of a detergent surfactant and from 0.1 to 1.5% by weight of an amine oxide. This amine oxide has the formula: ##STR3## wherein R is C.sub.10 -C.sub.22 alkyl or alkenyl; R.sub.1 is C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, ethylene oxide or propylene oxide; n is from 1 to about 6; m is from 0 to about 6; and p is 0 or 1. Although x, y and z can each be from 1 to 10 with a total sum no greater than 25 when R.sub.1 is ethylene oxide or propylene oxide, there is a preference that x, y or z should be no greater than 4 with a total sum of from 2 to 12. A particularly preferred class of amine oxides are those where R.sub.1 is ethylene oxide; m is 1; n is 2 or 3; and x, y and z are each at least 1 with their sum being from 3 to 12. A preferred compound disclosed is N-hydrogenated C.sub.16 -C.sub.18 tallow alkyl-N,N',N'-tri-(2-hydroxyethyl)-propylene- 1,3-diamine oxide. See also U.S. Pat. No. 3,412,155 to Miller et al., issued Nov. 19, 1968 (fatty branched chain amine oxides useful as detergents, including ethoxylated amino stearyl amine dioxide); Japanese Patent Document No. 5137-260 to Nippon Oils and Fats, published Oct. 25, 1980 (desizing composition containing ethylene oxide/propylene oxide condensation product of an amine oxide of a C.sub.8 -C.sub.22 alkyl alkylene diamine or a C.sub.10 -C.sub.30 trialkyl amine).